Business and economic news for the Santa Barbara region

Pre-Holiday Business, Job Expo Draws Hundreds

Hundreds of Job seekers interviewed with recruiters Sept. 25 in what used to be the second floor of Macy’s.

Before the holiday decorations are put up around the South Coast’s shopping areas, another sign of the season showed up Sept. 25 on the second floor of the former Macy’s building on State and Ortega streets.

Retail outlet recruiters were in full force at the #MySantaBarbara Business Expo and Job Fair.

Eighty-six exhibitors and 60 recruiters talked to some 500 job seekers during the three-hour expo, said Stephanie Armstrong, vice president of marketing for the Chamber of Commerce of the Santa Barbara Region.

Retail recruiters from Banana Republic, Marshall’s, H&M, Sharkee’s and about a half-dozen staffing agencies kept fairly busy through the afternoon on the humid second floor, which once housed kitchenware and bedding.

The recruiters all said they were indeed hiring many more personnel for the upcoming holidays. Some said they plan to keep more employees on the job even after the holiday season.

Most of the retail jobs pay from $12 to $15 an hour.

Some agencies from as far away as Los Angeles showed up, including recruiters from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Transportation Security Administration.

The expo comes right after the Sept. 24 start of classes at UC Santa Barbara. So, many recruiters had the chance to interview a fresh batch of undergrads who were seeking part-time work.